A lot of great sewing firsts happened in the month of May! Here you go:

-National Textile Day (May 3): May 3 is recognized as National Textile Day, celebrating the importance of fabrics, from historical costumes to modern applications.

-Sewing Machine Hire-Purchase (May 1856): In May 1856, the I.M. Singer Company began heavily promoting their hire-purchase (installment) plan, which allowed families to buy machines for \(\$5\) down. This move tripled their sales and helped make the sewing machine a standard, though expensive, home appliance.

-Mending as Survival (Early 20th Century): Photos from May 1957 often highlight the enduring, post-war, and depression-era tradition of repairing clothes, where women used hand-stitching to mend worn clothing, representing resilience and resourcefulness in working-class American homes.

-Rise of the “Big 4” Patterns: The paper pattern industry, which solidified in the 19th and 20th centuries, depended on women’s expertise and led to the “Big 4” (Vogue, Simplicity, McCall’s, and Butterick), which still dominate the home sewing market.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

– African Proverb

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▸ A Quick Informational Guide to our Guild!

https://www.akomantosoin.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Basic-Guild-Facts-2022.pdf

Welcome Akoma Ntoso (a-coma-in-tozo) means “linked hearts” in the language of the Akan people of West Africa. Creating a safe space for veterans, novices, and curious quilters to exist together takes a real commitment of the heart. Members are asked to bring a sense of collective desire to give of themselves and give to each other. Acquiring skills, honing skills, and giving back to the community will be the order of the day!Open Leadership PositionsGreat guilds need great leadership! Do you have what it takes to lead a group of dynamic and diverse men and women? Are you creative, organized, responsible, friendly, and passionate? Are you flexible and committed to the mission of advancing the art of quilting? Then a leadership position may be for you! We currently need a Vice President, a Program Coordinator, and a Block of the Month Coordinator.

These positions are vital to the success of the organization. Do you have what it takes to take us from good to great? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and create history? Submit a Leadership Interest Form today!Click Here!getting started!Getting started quilting just takes a leap of faith. If you can sew in a straight line you can create all sorts of wonderful, beautiful works of art! Take a chance! You got this and we’re all here to help!
Learn More Find Membership Form Here!Fonseca Theatre a Smash Hit!November 23, 2025The Young Ones are Breaking Out!!October 2, 2025Embracing the Journey: Threads of Joy and Sisterhood!October 1, 2025The Power of African FabricsSeptember 30, 2025

UPCOMING EVENTS

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“description”:”Over 16 community programs, brought together by Indiana Humanities, Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, wfyi  Indianapolis, and The Indianapolis Public Library, will come together on Saturday January 31, 2026. The activity is a family-friendly celebration exploring what it means to belong, participate, and build community-together. Through hands-on activities, storytelling, artmaking, and conversation, we’ll reflect on our nation’s history and imagine our collective future. More information can be found at https://attend.indypl.org/event/15333465 “,”location”:[{“@type”:”Place”,”name”:”Indianapolis Public Library”,”address”:{“@type”: “PostalAddress”,”streetAddress”:”40 E St Clair St”}}],”eventStatus”:”https://schema.org/EventScheduled”}
31jan11:00 am3:00 pmBetter Together Community Activity!
Event DetailsOver 16 community programs, brought together by Indiana Humanities, Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, wfyi  Indianapolis, and The Indianapolis Public Library, will come together on Saturday January 31, 2026. The activity

Event Details

Over 16 community programs, brought together by Indiana Humanities, Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, wfyi  Indianapolis, and The Indianapolis Public Library, will come together on Saturday January 31, 2026. The activity is a family-friendly celebration exploring what it means to belong, participate, and build community-together. Through hands-on activities, storytelling, artmaking, and conversation, we’ll reflect on our nation’s history and imagine our collective future. More information can be found at https://attend.indypl.org/event/15333465

Time
(Saturday) 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

LocationIndianapolis Public Library40 E St Clair St

CalendarGoogleCal

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“name”: “New SOS Event Just in time for Black History Month!”,
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“startDate”: “2026-2-4T14:00+0:00”,
“endDate”: “2026-2-4T15:00+0:00”,
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“description”:”Join us for the first Textile Talk of 2026! The Quilt Alliance’s mission is to work with you to document, preserve, and share the stories of your quilts and keep them from fading away. This week on Textile Talks, we’ll share two new Quilters’ Save Our Stories oral history interviews recorded in 2025. You’ll hear QSOS excerpts featuring artists Dr. Tony Dickerson and Sheryl Sims, and the artists will join us live for a Q&A. Their interviews will be included in this historic collection of more than 1,200 quilters. Join us to see how the Quilt Alliance documents our community. Zoom Link to follow soon!   “,”eventStatus”:”https://schema.org/EventScheduled”}
04feb2:00 pm3:00 pmNew SOS Event Just in time for Black History Month!
Event DetailsJoin us for the first Textile Talk of 2026!
The Quilt Alliance’s mission is to work with you to document, preserve, and share the stories of your quilts and keep them

Event Details

Join us for the first Textile Talk of 2026!
The Quilt Alliance’s mission is to work with you to document, preserve, and share the stories of your quilts and keep them from fading away. This week on Textile Talks, we’ll share two new Quilters’ Save Our Stories oral history interviews recorded in 2025. You’ll hear QSOS excerpts featuring artists Dr. Tony Dickerson and Sheryl Sims, and the artists will join us live for a Q&A. Their interviews will be included in this historic collection of more than 1,200 quilters. Join us to see how the Quilt Alliance documents our community. Zoom Link to follow soon!

 

Time(Wednesday) 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

CalendarGoogleCal

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“startDate”: “2026-2-23T15:00+0:00”,
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“description”:”Calendar of Events: 2026 Updates The “Everyday Use” Quilt Planning and Skills Session Black History Bingo for Prizes   “,”location”:[{“@type”:”Place”,”name”:”Ransburg YMCA”,”address”:{“@type”: “PostalAddress”,”streetAddress”:”501 N Shortridge Rd”}}],”eventStatus”:”https://schema.org/EventScheduled”}
23feb3:00 pm6:00 pmGuild Meeting #1 of 2026
Event DetailsCalendar of Events:

2026 Updates
The “Everyday Use” Quilt Planning and Skills Session
Black History Bingo for Prizes

 

Event Details

Calendar of Events:

2026 Updates
The “Everyday Use” Quilt Planning and Skills Session
Black History Bingo for Prizes

 

Time
(Monday) 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

LocationRansburg YMCA501 N Shortridge Rd

CalendarGoogleCal

Health Guidelines for this Event

Masks Required
Physical Distance Maintained